SUPER-PATH 4-No Total Hip Arthroplasty: No Muscle Cutting, No Drainage, No Blood Transfusion, and No Suture Removal

In the past, when performing hip replacements, I could never have imagined that this technique could be as simplified as it is today. They say that hip replacement is a major medical achievement of the 20th century, so perhaps the use of minimally invasive surgical approaches in hip replacement (including the SuperPath approach) is a revolution in this surgery. It opens up a completely different approach for both doctors and patients. Instead of a one-week hospital stay, patients can now be discharged 2 to 3 days after the replacement, or even undergo surgery and go home on the same day. Early mobilization right after surgery stems from the fact that patients do not feel much postoperative pain and their muscles and ligaments retain their strength after surgery (as they are not cut).

The fact that patients can walk about 6 to 8 hours after surgery has suddenly become routine. When coming to see me, quite a few patients are skeptical after receiving my counseling until they actually accomplish it. Seeing patients happy and recovering quickly is always what a physician desires most. It helps dispel fatigue and work pressure, giving doctors new and positive energy.

Yesterday, upon arriving at the hospital for surgeries, I met a patient being discharged 2 days after undergoing a left total hip replacement for avascular necrosis of the femoral head and a right core decompression. A young man who was still limping in pain 2 days ago could now walk normally without crutches. The use of skin glue for the incision also makes postoperative care easy, with no need for dressing changes or suture removal. Thus, after only 48 hours, the patient has returned to normal daily activities with a higher quality of life as pain no longer torments them.